The first of his kind. He followed his passion and embraced his talents and craft. He was the first to do the ski movies and set a very high bar/benchmark. It is doubtful that anyone will ever match is humor, ability to speak to a crowd (live), or his jovial and gracious personality. A true ambassador to the ski industry and lifestyle.

I can remember my first viewing of one of his movies. It was in the late 70's and I was a young lad. My Father had acquired tickets to the sold out showing of his movie at the quaint and small venue at the Sun Valley Opera House. Beforehand I had no idea who he was or why my Father made us wait in line early for seating when the temps outside were close to zero. We were fortunate enough to seat a few rows from the stage and screen and so I got to witness Warren up close; what a treat that was and it made an impression. It definitely wasn't my last Warren Miller movie that I attended. I always looked forward to Warren Miller movies as they were always good and the event (in Portland, Oregon) was a preseason, "let's get psyched for the upcoming ski/riding season" festival.

I had always wondered why Warren would show his movies in Portland Oregon first when he kicked off his movies. Certainly there were better ski towns than Portland?

Well about 15 years ago I finally found out why. So the gentleman I'm about to talk about is still alive; his first name is Bud. He visits the athletic club that we both belong to daily in SW Portland. He is an iron horse and works out daily at the young age of 90. One evening I was up at the bar after my workout and Bud was sitting next to me to my left. Bud overheard me talking to my friend to my right at the bar counter about the powder skiing I had done recently. Bud then interjected and started talking about skiing and how he and his friends would go up to Mt. Hood and hike the slopes so they could ski down. The early skiing days of Government Camp and Timberline Lodge etc etc. It was really f@cking cool and a honor to hear this stuff firsthand. The pioneering days of skiing when men where men and skis were basically long, large, and heavy and made out of old growth timber cuts permanently attached to one's feet.

During these times he somehow encountered Warren Miller on the slopes and they became friends. These were Warren's first days of filming skiing. Anyways, Warren had completed his first ski movie, he had "the sweets" for this certain girl in Portland who Bud knew. Bud lived with his parents at he time and the house they lived in was a very large house on Alameda Ridge in NE Portland, not far from the McMenamins Kennedy School.

Warren knew that that women he had "the sweets for" would show up to the movie if it was at that Bud's parent's house. The movie was shown down in the basement where a large crowd could assemble.

And so the rest is history and the tradition of showing Warrem Miller movies in Portland first stuck on the wall.

Warren you "wrung the sponge"/"sucked the marrow out of the bone"/"left nothing on the table." Thank you for inspiring me, making me smile and laugh, an approach skiing and life with a better mindset. You made my life better!

Warren Miller movies were the prequel to the season in Denver. In the 60's my parents would throw the 6 kids in the station wagon and we would laugh, hoot and holler through his live narrated movies ever year. Back then he was the infamous ski bum livin' the dream and sleeping in his car. Many years later after his movies became a household name in the ski industry, he had a lovely home in Vail, Co. We will miss his sharp wit and love for the great outdoors. A true legend, RIP my favorite ski bum!_________________moondog

knotwindy
Since 25 Sep 2011
354 Posts

Obsessed

Sun Jan 28, 18 9:50 pm

“You want your skis, go get ‘em”
“You’ll be one year older when you do”
So many great pics and great lines. In the narration and on the hill both. From saying wow, no way at the lines ridden to laughing and back again. It wasn’t really ski season until Warren showed up. Thank you for ruining my life...

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